Schools

Churchill Ranks High in MCPS AP Exam Participation, Performance Rates

More than 90 percent of students who took AP exams in 2010 scored a 3 or higher.

Many students at are demonstrating their preparedness for college after the school ranked high in the Montgomery County Public Schools system for student participation and performance on Advanced Placement exams in 2010.

More than 90 percent of students who took AP exams in 2010 scored a 3 or higher — the highest percentage in Montgomery County schools. In 2010, there were 1,060 students at Churchill who took one or more AP exam and 956 of those individuals achieved a score of 3 or higher.

Out of all of the AP exams completed at Churchill in 2010, the school had one of the highest percentages of tests with scores of 3 or higher. Churchill students took a total of 2,355 AP tests and received a score of 3 or higher on 2,048 of those tests -- or 87 percent.

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Churchill was behind Montgomery Blair High School with 88.4 percent of tests with a 3 or higher and Walt Whitman High School, which had 87.1 percent of tests with a 3 or higher.

Churchill Principal Joan Benz said that dedicated teachers and bright, receptive students are the keys to the school’s success with AP exams.

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“We have a good number of teachers who go to AP workshops and are devoted to helping students understand,” Benz said. “The outcome is that kids are motivated to participate.”

MCPS is also making achievements in the number of students who are taking AP tests. Half of the MCPS 2010 graduates earned a college-ready score on at least one AP exam — nearly double the rate of the state of Maryland and triple the rate nationally, according to a news release.

In the county 15,425 students in the Montgomery County Public School system took a total of 29,854 AP tests and countywide more than 72 percent of students scored a 3 or higher. The number of tests taken is more than 1,200 tests higher than the number taken in 2009 — MCPS’s previous highest number.

“Once again, our students have demonstrated that they want to take challenging courses and are prepared to succeed in doing college-level work,” said Christopher S. Barclay, president of the Montgomery County Board of Education in a news release. “These outstanding results on the 2010 Advanced Placement exams also provide one more piece of solid evidence that the emphasis on rigorous course taking in MCPS is the right thing for students.”

Earning a 3 or higher on an AP exam is one of the Seven Keys to College Readiness, a pathway MCPS promotes that helps students prepare for college.

With AP exams beginning on May 2, Benz said she is anticipating another stellar performance by Churchill students.

“This isn’t just a fluke that Churchill did well; this is something that has gone on consistently for the last decade,” Benz said. “We are so happy to let the parents know that we are careful in light of ‘Race to Nowhere,’ so we don’t have kids stressed out. It’s all about teaching and learning in the school and the outcomes are positive.”


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